familial ties
by SqueakyOwlet
Summary: Zelda Harkinian must swallow the fact that her mother's growing long distance relationship would result in having a 'soon to be step-father' living under the same roof. If things couldn't possibly seem any worse, she learns he has a son, which meant... a step brother. Little did she know that her opinion of him would slowly begin to change, where new feelings would arise. Zelink/AU
1. It only takes a day

**Oh my goodness, am I ever publishing this so late... or should I say early in the morning. I should be getting around to hopefully updating this really often... maybe a new chapter every few days or so? I didn't bother to make this a cross over since the focal point of the story does revolve LOZ, though, there are some characters that you should hopefully identify from other series... shame on you for not otherwise (taps hand). This is rated T for kissing, some swearing, and allusion to potential rape (don't worry)... I hope T is suitable... hmm...**

**Without further adieu, I should hope that you enjoy this! while I enjoy my eternal slumber. This is a zelink pairing, just as a heads up.**

**goodnight.**

* * *

~1~

_It only takes a day..._

If I had known sooner that I would be opening my doors to complete strangers, I would have intervened sooner, in hopes that none of what's yet to come would ever happen at all. The sheer realization of knowing that my life is about to change within the span of a day, without my consent even, makes my stomach twist into a bundle of sinuous knots from the bitter discomfort of it all, causing me to fall short on sleep… not that I sleep much at all anyways.

The early morning sunrise started to approach in the distance, painting the sky a faded shade of pink. I gotta admit, it was a pretty spectacular sight, but the number of thoughts racing through my brain a mile a minute prevented me from admiring it, as I started to aimlessly draw shapes with my finger along the glass pane of my bedroom window, where fog was collecting (I had unintentionally drew something that could pass off as an elephant sporting a fedora, while fishing by a lake). Among my thoughts of horror and disdain for this change and the for certain misery along with it, I couldn't help but tell myself that everything had been perfectly fine before, honest to the gods, it really was. Despite my father's departure and agony we had faced for months to follow, I could safely say that I was happy, and wanted nothing more than to maintain that flourishing bond Mom and I had established during her time of need, where I seemed to be the only one who gave a damn. Though nevertheless, even after I had fought through hardship with my mother and finally recuperated, she throws me _this_ fucking curve ball, as if she had intended to betray me all along and was part of some devious scheme she had conjured up. And now, I only can't help but ask myself… why is all this crap is happening to _me_? Of all people?

Now allow me to recite to you the fateful day the stars decided to align, on that one unsuspecting Saturday a few weeks ago where I knew my fate was bound to change. Waking up like every other morning, I sat up from bed to be greeted by the array of posters of ancient maps and famous hylian historians plastered along the walls of my room, where below those were my collection of limited edition figurines from manga/anime series, neatly placed along the shelf with a missing bolt that I need to get around to replacing. Alright, yeah, I'm a bit of a dork at heart, but at least I'm interested in _something_ aside from the stereotypical interests people think of when they are asked to define a ''seventeen year old girl'', to say the least. After ensuring my bed was tautly made (mind my neat freak tendencies), and arranging my Pokémon stuffies so they embellish my ''not too fancy'' bed, I proceed to turn on my laptop and scroll through this pretty popular advice blog that I maintain, just to see if I have any new concerning messages that could sure use a little of my advice, from the consoling nature I'm always proclaimed to have by everyone. _No new messages_, says the dialogue box and the top of the page… oh well. I groggily lift myself up from my desk, still pretty much asleep, where my eyes scan over towards my cell phone, only to be bamboozled with a colossal number of text messages sent by friends who are reminding me that we are ''supposedly'' going to hang out later somewhere… and of course, it slipped my mind due to my lack of interest in socializing, which I tend to try and abstain from but end up getting dragged along anyways, whether I like it or not. Honestly, what do I do to draw in people?

I eventually decide to make my way downstairs, only to be greeted by my oddly overjoyed mother, who acknowledges me with a warm grin and smiling eyes, kindling my radar that something was up.

''Good morning sleepy head, you slept well I take it? I made you your favourite.'' She says as she occupies herself with a skillet, working on something that bears an oh so familiar aroma, a delight to the senses at that. Sure enough, making my way to the dining table, my suspicion is only further raised when I notice a plate of strawberry crepes drizzled with a raspberry sauce staring at me flat in the face, saying ''eat me''. All this buttering up was sure something to be concerned about, and I didn't intend to fall for it… but dear Hylia, those crepes looked so good, and I was starved. Ravenously, I began to chow down my crepes, setting aside table manners, as mother smiled across from me while fiddling with her mug, watching me scarf down food like a wolfos. After finishing the horror scene of me eating, feeling pretty gosh darn satisfied, I looked over towards mom who was grinning like chesire the cat, and I smiled back at her in an awkward fashion, feeling a little at unease from her peculiar gaiety. Biting her lip and looking down into the abyss of her mug, she opened her mouth as if to say something, hesitated, then looked at me again, now looking slightly uncomfortable, as if whatever she was about to tell me would give me a heart attack or something horrible like that. She coughed as if to clear her throat, and started off to break the awkward silence which would lead into the glorious moment of truth.

''So… did you like your crepes zel?''she says awkwardly, obviously trying to deviate away from what she _actually _wanted to tell me, as coming from my ability to read people like the back of my hand.

''Oh, yeah! They were great, especially since I was pretty hungry.'' I replied, though I kept noticing how… _anxious _she looked, like she had this deep dark secret she was keeping from me and decided to build up courage and tell me already, though hesitating to avoid my potential reception if she _had _told me. Again, _silence. _Now, inhaling sharply and exhaling hyperbolically, she looks at me straight in the eyes and gives me a sympathetic glance, capturing my full attention. She looked sad.

''Zel… dammit why is this so hard…. '' she says while rubbing her temples with her forefinger and thumb

''Ok, '' she starts off ''you know that you can tell me pretty much anything you want right? Well, I should _hope_ that I myself can confide things to you, knowing you that you're willing to listen like I'm willing to listen to you, right?''

''yeah..'' I reply suspiciously, feeling my heart rate starting to pick up just a little bit. I didn't like her tone

''Well, as I know that you're aware of my long distance relationship with Rusl for what… 3 years now? I have to tell you that, it's strengthened over the past couple of months now, and I don't think I've ever felt this happy with anyone for, well, a long time. That being said, it's becoming increasingly difficult to see each other because train fees can get pricy, and it just leads to the whole thing becoming inconvenient and very time consuming. Because of this and the fact that Rusl can no longer afford to pay the landlord for the huge parcel of land he resides on… I have come to decide that he and his son will be moving in with us shortly, and I have no intention of changing my mind no matter what you say, so back on th…''

''Whoa whoa whoa, hold the phone for a second'' I brashly interrupt, '' For starters, we never agreed on this, and secondly… SINCE WHEN DOES HE HAVE A SON?!'' this felt like a slap in the face. Dammit, I knew there was a catch to those crepes.

''Oh yeah, he's always had a son, didn't I tell you? As a matter a fact he's around your age, maybe a year older or so. Look, I'm sorry I never bothered to tell you sooner but the situation was grave, with little time to spare and figured that had I told you earlier, you would have retaliated just as fiercely as you are now, causing too many confrontations and render things further complicated then they needed to be. In any case, It was bound to happen either way considering that we are now… '' My mother inhaled sharply and squeaked out ''engaged '' now looking at me dead serious in the eyes.

''Well you could have said something, but _noo_, you didn't bother to think about _me_ for one second, did you?'' I replied frantically '' I hope you _realize _that this guy is just mooching off you because he can't bloody well afford to pay rent out in the boonies, and FURTHERMORE….huh? W-wait, d-did you just say… ENGAGED?! ENGAGED SINCE HOW? WHEN?'' I was beginning to feel sick, and indigestion was sure to kick in after vacuuming up my breakfast, curdling up inside me along with all these bottled up emotions going haywire

''Dear Farore, Zelda what's the matter with you? I thought you were mature enough to understand that this wasn't a walk in the park for me either. God foresake, am I supposed to count on you to comply? I won't have your bitter attitude get in the way of everything that has been done for this to happen, so I beg you, please, to make this work. I would make me truly happy if you did. Please Zel, I'm begging you'' She said, her eyes widening with desperation for an answer now. How could she? among all the things that had happened and the time it took to heal, take such a drastic step into another possible fiasco? It then suddenly occurred to me how giggly she had gotten while on the computer these past months, how she smiled more often, caring more for her looks, browsing through wedding magazines… _geez, why am I so slow? _Now looking again into my mother's eyes, yearning to hear an appealing answer, thinking that I will just miraculously accept all this… well guess what, she wasn't gonna get one.

''yeah, well you might be happy… but not me, and I'm not going to forgive you for this just yet'' with this, refraining from making eye contact, I made my exit from the house after hastily getting ready, too angry to really care, in which I would hope to let off some steam from the new weight that would be placed atop my shoulders, and I was _really_ looking forward to going through that once again after telling myself that I had finally recovered from everything that happened in the past. Now looking at the time, it occurred to me that I would be meeting up with my friends fashionably late… As per usual. Well, at least I figured I'd have an excuse, and should hope to obtain at least _some_ relatively good advice, for the living hell of a life that I have yet to be acquainted to…

~.~.~

Castle town's mall wasn't too far from my house, but the walk itself was still a bit of a stretch, at least giving me an opportunity to settle my aggravated stomach and soothe my nerves as the crisp air cradled my face, a brisk feeling, as one would depict it. Arriving at the mall, fortunately not so overbearingly crowded like it usually was since the day was still young, I commenced my search for my friends, who wouldn't be too hard to knick out of the crowd, (despite it being quiet), because they were… well… a bunch of… _colourful_ folk, for the lack of a better word I guess.

About 5 minutes or so into my search, I stopped to admire the impressive aesthetics of the bookstore's display window, in all its glory, where I could've sworn that beyond the lucid glass barrier, the books on display seemed to be drenched in beams of shining light, emitting from the heaven's above as if a message were being sent to me by the gods saying_. ''Zelda, go, go and buy to your heart's content, savouring the delicious flavours that acquiring knowledge has to offer… oh, is that one on sale perhaps?''_. My hypnotic trance is broken, sure enough, by two familiar voices, assailing at one another in sheer animosity, once again, over something totally absurd.

''You freaking idiot! They are clearly classified as a ''FRUIT'', not a fucking vegetable''

''No, you're wrong, tomatoes are not fruit! Why is tomato sauce not fruity then?''

''Oh my god''

Like I said, clearly over something totally absurd. (*ahem*, in actuality though, botanically speaking they are considered fruit, but for culinary purposes are considered vegetables… just saying…)

In any case, the ruckus caused by those two clowns was enough for me to spot them from a mile away within the blink of an eye. Shaking my head and sighing, I made my way over to where they all sat near the central Victorian style fountain in the mall, noticing my apparent figure with hopeless expressions on each of their faces as I approached. Well, I certainly did know how to make a ''fashionably'' late entrance, am I right?

''welly well well well, if it isn't madam Harkinian, fashionably… oh, late I take it? Nothing new. Decided to show up when you built up the courage to be seen with a bunch like ourselves, where we serve to be an embarrassing group of people, pish posh!'' said my electric blue haired friend very dramatically, kind of comically too actually. Marth and I had met during my days as a sophomore, in which he had just moved to Hyrule and had come from Altea, a place pretty far away from here that I had come across and learnt a little bit about in some geography books I've read. Funny thing too, we actually met by him trying to use one of his trashy pick-up lines he often uses when he attempts to pick up girls on me after he had finished fencing practice (as he was part of my school's fencing team, eventually becoming team captain).Even after I constantly rejected him, we somehow shifted into becoming good friends, and claims that he had ''given up on me'', to my utter ''misfortune'' he would tell me, that the handsomest boy at school was no longer playing cards in my favour to win me over… and of course, I was moved to ''tears''. I gotta admit though, Marth was a pretty good example of your average pretty boy, tall and thin with electrifying blue eyes and effeminate features… though his immaturity and narcissism reflected badly on his part, and I could never think of him in ''that sense''. Though, despite his overconfidence and cocky character, he really is just a lovable dork that you feel like smacking every now and then.

''Well… you know me, I have to be extra good and ready to make a good impression for all of you, to give you all the better reason to embarrass me'', I reply sarcastically, making him to laugh.

''Zelda, please, side with me on this one and tell this looser that tomatoes are FRUIT!'' hollered Midna, pointing a finger at marth who stood there, holding back a snicker… he seemed to be enjoying getting her all flustered like that. Midna and I had been friends since back in elementary… it's a long story, but to say the least it involves a sandwich, rubber ball, bloody nose and a trip to the nurse's office, somehow initiating our odd friendship. Midna is super defensive and isn't the best at maintaining a cool façade from her super short fuse, so it dosen't take much for her to reach her burning point… especially when one of us gets hurt by someone, in which she claims to ''murder the perpetrator with her bare knuckles'', and believe me, she probably can from all that kick boxing she does in her spare time, along with the fact that she is an excellent bass guitar player. Speaking of which, she always tries to sneak behind me while I'm reading or something by placing her headphones over my ears, blasting death metal music at full volume, which she knows I despises… how _can _anyone like that as much as she does? Impossible.

''Well, let me put it to you this way… you are correct, botanically speaking, otherwise culinary wise you are wrong'' I reply to her question, where she gives me a sulky look that says _''really? Really Zelda? Don't freking do this to me..''_

''ah ha ha, so much for trying to prove your point! Maybe you should go back to hitting the books? That is, if you know how to read one…'' Marth says to Midna, turning her flaming red eyed gaze to meet his jocular one

''SCREW YOU'' she yells at him as she proceeds to punch his arm, making Marth yelp in pain.

''OW! Keep your hands to yourself now, little one'' says marth as if he were a condescending kindergarten teacher reminding of the rules to the class troublemaker.

As Marth and Midna continued to bicker, I couldn't help but find it hilarious. Seeing my friends get angry at one another always finds a way to make me laugh, as they argue over the stupidest things and give me all the more reasons to love those dorks. My eyes travelled over towards those of peach's, who rolled her eyes and was shaking her head at me while smiling, who found their antics just as hilarious as I did. She gestured at me to come sit next to her on the edge of the fountain, where I made my way over, taking a seat gingerly, where anyone can easily fall right in. Taking one last bite of her peach (yes, the fruit), juice rolling down her chin and throwing the pit inside the fountain, she began to move her hands around like a photo frame, squinting one eye and leaving the other open

''Oh that would be just grand, eh Zel?'' saying to herself as she averted her attention to me now, where I was completely oblivious and spaced out.

''Huh?'' I said, clearly confused

Peach huffed, and started off by saying how she was contemplating the structure of the mall, in which she could picture the future scented bath and body franchise, all produce made with true ingredients, that she would own with her ''one true love'' (aka, Mario, who wants her to leave him alone… sometimes I actually don't blame the guy… don't repeat that.) Peach is basically like a peach, completely and utterly sweet. I think I recall us meeting when I got stuck next to her during our school field trip to the countryside, where I spent the entire time there and back listening to her as she tried to throw me superficial love life quizzes from those trashy magazines she's so into, and of course, completely draining me of my energy, along with the many other really terrible mushy indie romance movies she's obsessed with, and always never asking… but forcing me to watch, where every ending is the same leading her to cry a river, and me ask myself what the fuck I just watched as I throw up conveniently into the wastebasket near my feet. Because of her hopeless romantic tendencies, she always seems so… _intrigued_ by everyone else's affairs and love life, as if the world was some never-ending edition to the latest gossip magazine with us as the hit insiders. She's probably the most superstitious person I've ever encountered. Don't believe me? For weeks she actually believed after reading another gossip magazine, that If you stared at an avocado long enough, you would gain 20 calories every minute after, finally coming to my understanding as to why she had some weird aversion to looking at the salad I was eating in the lunchroom at school, that just so happened to have avocado in it. So, have you changed your mind _now?_ Despite all this about her, I swear to Din she is the most lovable person ever, even If she can get a little bit nosy in everyone else's affairs and drain you of your energy, she's too sweet to ever hate on… and hey, this is coming from me now, you know, the one who doesn't like people as much as they should?

Honestly, what did I do to attract all these people? I ask myself this too often, I know.

I took note of Ilia's absence that no one bothers to question anymore. She's always so busy, considering that her father is the mayor of castle town and she's always trying her best to assist affairs at the town hall, particularly because she had always had a fascination for work In city hall, and hopes that one day she will play a bigger role in the maintenance of castle town when the time comes… though her dad for some reason doesn't believe she is ready to handle such affairs, even though Ilia is most definitely capable. Hell, she probably knows more than most people who work there anyways and can make estimations in her head faster than the fast footing of a jack rabbit. Ilia's a frequenting member of our school's debate team, where she is a fierce advocate of order and social justice. Man, I've seen her debate before… you probably wouldn't want to face her, especially if you were to touch on a delicate subject that she feels particularly strong about, where she can get pretty nasty.

While Marth and Midna's argument of whether or not tomatoes are now… crimson or cherry coloured... dear gods... carried out and peach's rambling about this new romance indie film that she wants to see about a… cowboy and a western princess I reckon? I'm not entirely sure. All I know is that my mind began to drift elsewhere as I thought about everything my mother had come to recently tell me, my stomach tying itself into knots again as I remember the look of despair in her sunken eyes, and the cold rejection to her pleads I had given her as response… but can you honestly blame me? I ask myself mentally, pearing into the pristine water of the fountain, where I gazed at my reflection in the water intently. Peach, noticing my change in demeanor, placed her hand on my shoulder and asked me what was the matter. I then carried on to tell her everything that had happened that morning, how I brushed my mother aside like that, how I couldn't bear to tell myself that this… was really _happening._

''Wow, gee that's a lot to take in huh… But above anything zel, The best advice I can give you is to tell you to keep your head held high, and don't let something like this get in the way of leading your life the way it was before. Maybe this all won't be so bad like you picture it to be, and you'll see that everything should turn out to be fine'' she tells me, smiling at me for a brief second before deciding to focus her attention on getting her hands on another peach (dear Nayru, how _many _will she ingest before she gets sick of them?)

''yeah, I guess maybe you're right'' I gently say to myself while yet again staring at the clear projection of my appearance in the shallow waters of the ancient fountain, the mall's grand heart and center. Despite peach's mild attempt to reassure me, it wasn't effective enough to maintain my soft expression of hope into one of concern and worry, because I still couldn't shine the light on any potential optimism for this change I have yet to face, and just what I'm going to do to handle it all when I'm confronted by it.

''_Yeah, you say everything SHOULD be fine… but you never said it will.'' _I tell myself mentally, but I know I wouldn't tell her that; she was too busy eating her peach anyways…


	2. where it all seems so foreign

_**Ah,**_** I was able to miraculously publish a new chapter within a day's time! sensational! I think it's because you get used to having too much spare time and figure you may as well dispense it at your own leisure, at least coming from me**_  
_

**I should hope that this chapter doesn't drag on as much as the first (i have come to notice). Oh, and fret not, there'll be some Zelink in chapters later on to come, for those of you who want me to get on with it already. well, chapter stories do tend to take there time with these things, do they not? ;). Enjoy!**

* * *

_~2~_

_where it all seems so foreign_

_Present day_

I never even knew what a sunset _looked_ like as it progressed from lighting the sky a fluorescent orange and gradually fading away to awaken the cold morning sky beneath it, a sense of tranquility washing over the faded rooftops of the sleepy community of rich snobs I'm stuck in. I knew that _they_ would be arriving soon, and I've literally been glued to the platform near my window (my elephant was gone now) while bitterly analyzing the movers unload the truck containing the few pieces of furniture that _they _decided to bring along with them, not that that's an issue since we have a relatively big house. It's not like were filthy rich or anything, I wish we were, but we aren't to say the least. The reason behind our upper class residence was due to the fact that my father had inherited it from my great grandfather after he had passed, who had been immeasurably wealthy, so much so that I can almost say it was ludicrous how much dough this guy had (he had _solid gold_ cabinet handles…Solid _gold _I tell you. Get real!). In any case, after my mother and father had undergone a divorce, he decided just to leave the house for us to be responsible for and didn't want to be bothered with it anyhow.

I don't see my father anymore, and to be quite frank, I couldn't care less. After what he had done to my mother and I, sending her spiraling into the clutches of abuse, anguish and misery while I was the only one really there to comfort her… he just washed his hands clean of us and left us to sink into the mud puddle HE himself had thrown at us in the first place, as if nothing had happened. I have no idea where he is nowadays, though the only times I can safely say he's still out there somewhere is when I get these random birthday cards that appear in our mail every now and then, sometimes marking the wrong day as he had forgotten when my birthday was… sometimes not even at all. He never did, even as a child, remember my birthday 100% of the time. But I never cared, and neither did he. I never saw him as a father since, despite him being so close… he was so far away, and when he had left us, I despised him even more for that… for all the misery he had caused like the miserable person he came out to be.

Twiddling my thumbs anxiously, my attention, back on that of the movers in my driveway who were now unloading… most likely the last piece of furniture I believe? Whatever, In any case, the ominous fog of negative thoughts shrouding my mind along with the stuffiness of my room was sure getting to me. I needed to get out of here, in hopes that I can hopefully prolong my evasion of meeting my new step family, and clear my head so I can maybe rid of some of these thoughts causing my brain to go into overdrive… and I knew exactly where I needed to go in order to do this. Not bothering to grab a sweater on this surprisingly cold day for this time of year, I surreptitiously crept my way downstairs while maneuvering stealthily around the obstacles of heavy set furniture being taken inside my no longer safe haven, my home. After slipping past my front door, shutting it carefully behind me, I made my way toward my destination, stepping into the cool and breezy summer morning.

~.~.~

_Link's P.O.V_

The beautiful scenic view of the countryside and mountain air that I've come to know so well was starting to thin out as we gradually deviated away from the open pastures of Hyrule, in all its naturalness, and leaning more towards the populous, meretricious urban areas. The environment that I grew up in was starting to vanish, kind of like the life I once had and adored, which would be moving on into something totally foreign… where it all seems so strange when you think about it. Continuing to greedily take in and capture all the final scenic mementos of the rural life I would be leaving behind while looking out through the passenger seat's window, I began ruminating about my younger days here that all seemed just so… carefree.

'' Hey space case? You still with me?'' asks my father, nudging my shoulder to break me out of my trance. The origin of the nickname had come with my frequent visits to cloud 9.

''Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. What were you, saying again? It kind of slipped me.'' I said absentmindedly, not really bothering to pay attention from not wanting to miss witnessing the last few moments of looking out the window into the large open fields of Hyrule where I had grown up, taking photographs with my memory in hopes that the images should instill in my brain to serve as memento.

''Of course, you weren't paying any attention. Why am I not surprised?…'' he said, chuckling as he rolled his eyes. ''If you can hopefully recall, I was just saying how great it will be to start a new life here, and that I'm sure you are going to love Eleanor as much as I do. Wow, it sure is a nippy day out there considering it's around this time of year eh? Oh, and I forgot to mention, you just wouldn't believe the kinds of foods and different types of districts they have in these urban areas, by Farore you would be overwhelmed from it all! Oh, and did I tell you about…me….. went… cal…..''

My father's rambling had started to fade into a jumble of words, blurred from my ability to pay attention as I continued to lose myself into the now practically almost gone countryside scenery, that I knew I would miss dearly. Honestly, I wasn't too fond on the whole idea of leaving the place where I had established a bond in order to satisfy my father's desire to be in unity with the woman he had recently fallen in love with… In fact, I'm still not too keen on leaving. Growing up as a rural kid, I had been exposed to those wide open fields with fresh air that made you feel so free and experience the natural appeal that the country is known to have. I had lived there with my parents for most of my life until my mother had become very ill, where there was no known ailment or treatment to serve as a cure. Before her passing, she made me promise to her that I would always ensure that my father and I are happy, no matter what, even after she died. I remember crying the night she passed away, staying by her bedside all night, remembering the feeling while holding her hand and wasn't really myself for the weeks to follow… but I ended up telling myself to stay strong, because that's what she would have wanted for us both. My dad was hit pretty hard, and had gotten seriously depressed; especially after we could no longer afford to pay the landlord for the huge stretch of land we lived on, where I had spent these last 18 years of my life. If we didn't come up with the money soon, we would be evacuated and then rendered homeless. The thing that had been rooting for my father to tell himself that life wasn't a complete disaster, was his flourishing long distance relationship that had become the reason for our departure to leading a ''better life'' and to climb our way out of the black hole from the series of misfortunate events we had fought against in the past, that we are inclined to forget about and kick behind us.'' Out with the old and in with the new'', he'd say with overbearing optimism.

''Whoa, there sure are a lot of cars… I wonder what the big hullabaloo is all about? Oh Look, A herd of Horses, how nice!'' says my father, among the many other things he says with profuse mirth in his voice.

Like I said, I intended to keep my promise, even if it meant sacrificing the things that I kept closest to my heart, it would mean that my father would be happy. Besides, maybe there _is_ some light shining at the other end of the tunnel… a dim light, for now at least… But I'm _praying _to the gods for that to change, since I don't want to further regret leaving from the only place I can still call home.

After what felt like hours of driving, we were finally approaching our destination… in other words, as much as it pains me to say it, the place I would be living in. I took note that the closer we were claimed to reach the house, the more prestigious the neighborhoods began to appear, to the point where I literally asked my dad if we were going in the right direction. '_'there's no way that they could be living in one of these homes..'' _I told myself mentally, hoping that I wouldn't be dealing with a bunch of rich snobs, because that would be the worst…

I knew it, they're rich. Pulling into the driveway of the residence, I was taken slightly aback by the size of it and its upper class charm. It wasn't like a mansion crafted in solid gold by the gods or anything like that, no, but it was definitely not small. The driveway was formed a crescent moon and appeared to be made of cobblestone, which was complimented by a beautiful garden , immersed in vivid flowers that had traveled along the gentle curves of the cobblestone crescent. A tangle of Ivy had climbed its way up the stone slabs of the home's high walls to meet the slick contours of the grand and gleaming windows that reflected the image of our inferior trash mobile making its way up the cobblestone path, probably making it filthy as we drove along it. I freaking hate rich people...

I didn't wanted to leave the comforting clutch that the car had always given off on me, since I was still trying to allocate my mind into telling me that this is where it's at… and there's nothing you can do to change it, because _this_ is really happening. I slouched into the odd curvature the car seat always had and bathed in the yellow sunlight that had surmounted the cold and made its way inside, washing a sense of relief over me as it gave me the opportunity to register everything that was occurring, and for what was yet to actually occur while I basked in its ever-glowing warmth. Now turning my head to peer out the window, I took note of my father making his way up the steps to be warmly greeted by a fairly attractive woman for her age who I had assumed to be Eleanor?... oh wait, yes they just kissed, I should have never of doubted that. Still in an embrace, my father had gestured at me to come over while Eleanor made her way back inside alongside with my dad. Having a recollection of my promise, I told myself that it was all or nothing… and besides, it was all for the better of my father, who, I can assure you, is still shaken from everything that had happened to us both, still fragile from the recoil. Stepping out of the car, I made my way up the ancient stone stairs, passing my hand gingerly along the rough cat-like tongue surface of the rail, and made my way inside

The lucid glass panes of the windows had inundated the spacious rooms with natural sunlight, creating a feeling of warmth within the impressive estate as it moved along the walls dressed in paintings and old photographs. The inside itself was very tasteful and had character, especially the banister that had coiled along the spiraling staircase leading to the many floors above that I have yet to explore. After briefly contemplating my surroundings to try and familiarize myself with the place, like she had known me for years, Eleanor starting making her way over towards me, pulling me into a hug just around my upper torso (I was pretty tall.. maybe around 6'0?). Now moving her hands to place atop my shoulders, she stared intently at my appearance while bearing a curious side smirk and cocking her head over to one side, blond locks falling gently with it, making me feel pretty uncomfortable, I have to admit.

''So, you must be Link then. Eh?'' she said quizzically while still smirking ''Well, I certainly didn't think you'd be _this_ good looking, my goodness I'll have to keep an eye on my daughter now that _your_ around'' she proclaimed, laughing joyously, where I smiled back at her awkwardly.

''aw, I'm just teasing you now'' she said while proceeding to pinch my cheek. ''come on and join us, and please, feel free to make yourself at home. What's mine is yours.'' She then made her way back into the kitchen where she and my father were conversing of their ecstatic delight for finally achieving the proximity they've always wanted, and the fact that they will be wedded in due time. Eleanor had such warm hospitality, matching her warm character that I take no surprise in knowing that my father had come to love. My good impression of her, along with warmly watching them enthuse like school children over their insatiable elatedness for the wedding sent a ray of hope down my alleyway, maybe even brightening that dim light at the end of that tunnel just a smidgen more… just enough to convince me that, maybe everything won't turn out to be as bad as I thought… and maybe I can learn to find new ways to make the best of my days here, just like those back in the open pastures of the countryside.

After joining an interesting discussion with my father and Eleanor, making me wander away from my home sickness for a little while, I began to question the whereabouts of this Zelda that I'm hearing so much about … where I seriously hope she decides to reason with all of this civilly, like I had done myself when my father's convincing misery and promise to maintain his fading happiness had been crucial… which I hope she doesn't jeopardize for whatever reason…


	3. I'm not too eager

**Finally, the third and very well the longest chapter (and, most... ''dramatic'', to say the least) Things are gonna start getting a little more eventful in here! Enjoy, to all my lovely readers out there!**

* * *

_~3~_

_I'm not too eager..._

_Zelda's P.O.V_

There's a reason behind why I refer to this place as ''my retreat space'', my ''getaway zone'', or just about whatever you want to call it… all I know is that it's the only place where I can feel utmost serene and at ease if ever the weight of the miserable world is pulling me down towards the face gravity, expelling me of my liberty, and ability to just… float away… kind of like the sugar coated clouds of stuffing overhead that drift away so nonchalantly across these faded summer skies, not seeming as perfectly blue as they should be, I told myself.

The many trees and shrubs irregularly distributed within the rich snob community park were performing a sinuous dance in the gentle breeze from summer's breath, while their leaves had carried along it to make their way to rest upon the gentle waters of the central pond, where ducks were contentedly occupying themselves by diving to feed off its algae. A park bench facing the shallow body of water was where a stout woman seated herself upon, and had reasoned that the squirrels were famished little creatures and was showering them in peanuts… _''the poor things''_, she must be thinking…hate to break it to you, but squirrels can very well look after themselves. Stupid squirrels.

I did series of deep breathing, in hopes that the pure summer air could replace that of the negative aura flooded within me and had caused a raging storm that had been settled on this now sunny day where I remained tranquil in _my _unconditional place of escape… untouched, and impermeable to distress.

I sat myself at a usual seat, a usual seat along the great back of a tree, carefully hidden from everyone's view, which is why I liked it so much. I've always been draw to this tree, despite it looking pretty much like any other tree; it still felt like a special kind of tree, with its unique patterns engraved in the rough surface of the bark that traveled along the towering trunk which eventually dispersed itself, with plush velvet leaves that populate its tangle of branches, providing shade for those below. My anxiousness, now tamed to a minimal, had given me the opportunity to render my focus on continuing to read ''_a memento to an archeologist's survival: should anything occur…'',_ the third book of my favourite trilogy for, what… the, 4th time now? I had brought it along after telling myself it was collecting dust from infrequent use, so no better time to escape than through the never ending pages of adventure that illustrate the beauty behind reading books.

The science fiction trilogy tells the tale of 3 unsuspecting individuals who explore the realms of Gamelon; forgotten and full of mythical creatures, where they explore the secrets that underlie within. I was a pretty avid fan of its writer, Kaepora Gaebora (on the spectrum… I'd say 9.1), for his notable works such as that one and the articles he often writes for this historian magazine I subscribe myself to, where he makes many interesting claims on historical phenomena that I research often along with historical artifacts, which I find totally _fascinating. _Someday, I think I'd like to become a historian and partake in the assistance of uncovering the many secrets and relics behind Hylian history… It would only be living the dream if I could access those long term pieces of research that have been analyzed and used for centuries… oh, if only, I can now but simply _daydream_ about it all.

Maybe someday, maybe someday…

After my nose had been stuck within the pages of the best book ever, for… how long again? I don't remember, I decided to make my way over to the public library nearby after brushing aside the many text messages, each succeeding the one before, from my frantic mother telling me that I was being super rude and to get my stubborn behind over here right this instant. I wasn't too keen on getting my stubborn behind over there that very instant, so I decided to prolong my rebelling against her demands.

Hey, I was allowed to be away from everything just a little while longer, wasn't I?

After answering some messages in need of guidance I had gotten over the past few hours on my blog and killing some more time by reading a stack of comic books and manga found on the library shelves, looking out the window, It appeared to no longer be the early morning I could've sworn it still was, but now slowly getting late into the evening, bringing a hectic day of rebelling to a close.

_14 new messages_,says the inbox icon on my phone. Yikes… Well, I think I've had my fair share of being obstinate for one day, so heading home seems like a pretty good idea at this point. Knowing that I'm probably going to suffer the consequences, I couldn't care less at this rate, I had told myself as I made my way out through the heavy glass doors of the local library as the glare from the setting sun blinded my gaze…

~.~.~

It had almost grown dark by the time I had reached the front steps, noticing a parked car in our driveway I was unfamiliar with (assuming it to be that of Rusl's?), where I proceeded to outstretch my hand for the door's handle, reluctantly, while turning it painfully slowly as my body stiffened, as if it were preparing itself for the frenzy of scolding I was expecting to have thrown at me… the usual. Because people in general were so unappealing to me right now, I just couldn't stand the thought of it and wasn't going to put up with _any _of it, thus, after opening the door in a haste, I immediately made my way along the spiraling staircase towards the floor above and into my room, not giving a damn about what my mother would say or what those strangers would think of me. Shutting the door behind me, I sank down and curled up into a little ball while hugging my knees into my chest, seated against the tall frame of my door, not bothering to turn on the lights. Despite the thick opacity of the darkness, lifting my head just a few centimeters, I could make out the shape of a cheap and gaudy birthday card, inevitably marking the wrong day that my biological father had sent me this year, which rested atop my dresser in shame. Now staring it from afar sparked many painful memories, which began to grow clearer as they had been contained in the lapse of my mind… so very clear, were they becoming now, as I proceeded to close my eyes and lose myself in thought…

~.~.~

_The little girl with bright blue eyes, filled with fear, watched from the top of the stairs, her mother, being slapped and beaten by her father in a drunken stupor yet another night. The beatings were done, of course, in such a way to not cause any grave damage but enough so where she was left battered and bruised, in which she had craftily concealed her injuries along her body conveniently with the use of turtleneck sweaters. Such beatings would often occur in succession to his arrival home, drunk and wasted, while bearing the potent stench of booze that his young daughter had found nauseating. Demanding for alcohol, had his wife refused to supply him any more of the family's money to support his addiction, a resort to physical violence had been confirmed a sure way to resolve the confrontation, inevitably him being the one to claim victory with a crate full of booze bottles at hand as his prize. Some nights were more peaceful than others, in which the young girl would watch her father arrive home while staggering his way inside. She hadn't seen his battered face in so long, that she had forgotten of his appearance, even though she only ever came to see the corner of his sunken eyes looking down towards the ground as he tried to maintain his crooked balance, or what was left of it, while he made his way into the study. What he did in there? She never knew…_

_Now, this young girl, for being good, would be rewarded handsomely with a scoop of raspberry ice cream from the local ice cream parlour after helping her mother gather wood for the winter at her grandparents' cottage in the countryside during the fall that year, since they would be arriving home earlier then the appointed time, much to her daughter's delight. She wondered what her father would be doing at this time as she savoured the rare gem that ice cream was considered to be for a child her age._

_Finally, they had arrived home, the little one relieved as all that hard work had sure gotten her quite sleepy. Upon entering their home, holding her mother's hand as they made their way inside only to be greeted by a series of faint but odd noises, to appear to be those of… moaning? She couldn't really quite tell, at such an age, you can't really. Now, watching her mother slowly make her way around to the room beside her, feeling the throbbing of her racing heartbeat in her hand as she held it, a little tighter now, where she had only come to be mortified from what she witnesses, bursting into tears and into a fit of rage from the apparent scene of a scandal._

_This little girl, named Zelda, had stood there innocently while looking very perplexed at the rising silhouette of her father along the wall and what appeared to be another individual… perhaps another woman, that had been the subject of her mother's wailing of agony as she covered her daughter's eyes from the explicit nudity that she did not want her to see._

_Despite her gaze being covered and the bouts of screaming that had taken place by both her father and mother, she had taken note that the raspberry ice cream was beginning to melt, since she felt it trickle along her tiny little hands…_

~.~.~

My ruminating in the darker places of my memories had stopped when my mother's knocking on my bedroom door had shocked me into coming back to reality, where my gaze snapped away from that of the card and now on the full yellow moon that lit up the clear night sky, and decided to shine some light in my almost pitch black bedroom through my window, making it a little less morbid in here.

''Zelda? I can't _believe _you came up with the actual _nerve _to not only miss the arrival of your new step family members, but on top of that, after leaving practically the entire day doing whatever it is you do, you fail to even _apologize _or say even a sole _word. _What do you have to say for yourself?... come on, answer me! Zelda Harkinian, I _know_ you're in there!''

I gave her no answer. Complete silence was all I managed to spit out

''Fine, be that way and see where it gets you. We'll all be downstairs where we await an apology from you.''

With this, my mother murmured angrily to herself under her breath as she made her way downstairs. An apology? For doing, what exactly? Can somebody refresh my memory, as I don't really recall what I did wrong? Anyone? The jury is silent, therefore, I don't intend on apologizing for something I didn't even do.

The blue, ever- glowing light the moon had gratuitously allowed to enter into my dark room had stained my clothes as I sat upon the platform adjoining my window, where I watched the beautiful night sky and the bed of twinkling, diamond-like stars that danced along it, realizing how vast the universe we know of really is…

~.~.~

_Link's P.O.V_

Leaving my father and I alone to look at one another awkwardly, Eleanor eventually makes her way back downstairs, where she began apologizing for her daughter's bitter behaviour and would be expected to excuse herself when she decided to exit her lair, causing me to hold back a laugh from the term she used. I had noticed her irritation beforehand when she had checked her phone often a little while back, hacking at the buttons… almost aggressively from what I could tell, but I wasn't really sure what for... until it occurred to me that Zelda hadn't been around for a while now, which did create a little tension in the menacingly silent atmosphere of the dining room along with Eleanor's attempt to mask her growing anger with that of jovial smiles, which I could've sworn were forced onto her face, I swear to Din, they must've been…

Hours had passed, and, my father and Eleanor already at unease when I heard someone enter the house relatively late,(assuming it was Zelda) who's footsteps lead to only become quieter as said person made their way up the stairs, increasing the awkward tension continuing to build up in the surrounding room where I had instantly noticed a look of disbelief wash upon Eleanor's features, and one of extreme discomfort concerning that of my father's, who had been worried sick if something like this were to happen. Being unwelcomed sure isn't the brightest sentiment among the bunch, especially when you knew that you would be _living_ with person who chooses to disregard your presence for the days that you'd be staying there. This is when Eleanor marched her way up the stairs, excusing herself as she, from what I gathered, attempted to reason with her daughter and of course failing to do so when she had made her way back down empty handed, with Zelda not in sight.

I admit, I was kind of turned off from her failure to at least formerly introduce herself, should it be contrived and feigned, I couldn't care less, but at least have the decency to say _something. _The sheer sight of my father's growing discomfort had also managed to piss me off, since I didn't need this continuous drama to threaten his needed dose of bliss that had leaked its way out of the diet of his mental health after all the events that had further darkened his notorious past, most known for its losses that had rendered him into the depths of despair. This would also make my promise further into a challenge that it needed not to be, and possibly regret what I had said about everything _hopefully _running smoothly if this becomes a reoccurring problem… and was _I _here sulking like a five year old brat in front of the toy's store's display window? Uh, no, and to be quite frank I see myself being a tad more mature than that.

The overwhelming silence, along with the sunken expressions that hung on the faces of Eleanor and my father like clothes pins was getting to me as I grew further annoyed in regards to the bad impression Zelda had set for herself along with the bratty attitude she was giving off alongside it. I didn't want her spoiling everything by fizzling out the happiness portrayed by the two lovebirds across from me, nor making me further regret leaving life by the countryside. Just grow up already and get a good dose of reality, in hopes that you stop yourself from kicking down the towering building blocks of happiness that others took so long to build to benefit yourself, because it takes one stupid person to make the whole thing come crashing down, and I didn't intend on letting that happen to the already fragile tower, in all its insecurity, that my father had convinced himself to try and build up again, so that it might flourish into a skyscraper once more like I remember it had been.

The bitter annoyance from this realization just got me more riled up, granting me the confidence to reason with this girl, so that we can perhaps reach a civil agreement, and depart as, maybe not friends, but associates that just so happen to live under the same roof, should I have to get pushy. I wasn't going to have her stuck up attitude win over after all that had been sacrificed and arranged for the better anyways… which she is clearly _blind _for not bothering to notice for half a second.

Eager to break the eerie and noiseless parlor, I cleared my throat and started off by speaking of my endeavor to reason with Zelda, as if I were to depart on some noble quest to slay the beast where so many have tried and failed to do so, and I was just some naïve fool trying to make some ostentatious impression as I was literally waltzing blindly into a sure recipe for inevitable failure. Despite this probably being the case, it wouldn't hurt to give it a shot… besides, I was willing to try _anything _to reach a conclusion where harmony just might be restored, where I can redeem that flash of hope I felt confident about earlier, telling myself that everything should turn out to be fine…

Biting her lower lip, Eleanor had reluctantly allowed me to carry out my action, with the addition of a gentle warning while telling me that I really didn't have to do this. I knew I didn't, but I would anyways because I'm just too stubborn to take no for an answer. With that, I cautiously made my way up the varnished spiraling staircase, barely making a sole sound as I did, into the black abyss above, where I could barely make out a hallway that was faintly lit save for a few dim lights scattered along the walls of the upstairs floor. There seemed to be an endless stretch of doors leading into mysterious rooms, destined to be explored. _''who knows what's behind each door…"_ I had told myself, my insatiable curiosity acting up as I respectfully continued my restless search for Zelda's room…

~.~.~

_Zelda's P.O.V_

No longer receiving any allure to staring out my window blankly into the starry night while lost in thoughts pertaining to our solar system, I had decided that my legs were feeling sore for maintaining an awkward posture far too long along the tiny platform I had seated myself upon, plus I was kinda bored too, not that that's frequently an issue in my case. I don't know why, but I had a strangely empowering urge to be surrounded by the comforting smell of old, leathery books collecting of dust along with hints of the prolonging odours of booze in the study where my father had spent most of his life in... literally. I sometimes liked spending my time in there, reading as I looked out the gigantic window whose outer panes had been embellished with fragments of stained glass, where I had always marvelled at the meticulous attention to details that had been taken into consideration to ensure the aesthetics of the window were as pleasing to the eye as possible. Now attempting to achieve a blood flow to circulate its way back into my legs (gods it felt so _weird), _I proceeded to make my way out only to be completely startled by a foreign figure standing there in which I did not recognize, causing me to jump out of my skin. He had appeared to want to knock, but I beat him to it in the nick of time… well that's a first.

We just… _stared_ at one another… in the darkness that enshrouded us, trying to make sense of the other so that we might get a good idea of who we are dealing with, and just what they look like. I had always said you can say a lot about a person based on how they look, to some degree, as I am definitely not one to surmount objective over subjective impressions… but a person's looks_ can_ say something when you think about it, and how they _choose_ to carry out those looks

The tall and very lean boy standing before me, despite the poor excuse for lighting, had been somewhat difficult to identify, but I could make out _some _characteristics of his physical form and features, to say the least… His deep cerulean eyes, taking in the little light that was there, were such a colour that they appeared to resemble those of raging waters during that of a storm, swirling into the bottomless depths of the ocean, contrastingly being withheld in big and softly shaped eye sockets, the gentle frame making them seem less harsh despite their intense pigmentation. His facial structure, I could almost say it was rather…_ effeminate_, with his narrow nose and soft curvature along the baseline of his jaw that were lined with the black ink from the surrounding shadows, while his hair, a fairly dark blond I take it? Swept across his forehead and fell gently over his brow, just a little over his intense indigo gaze that peered curiously through that of my light blue ones.

''_what was HE doing here?'' _I had asked myself as he stood there, completely mute as if unable to speak while we continued to stare at one another with little expression that made its way to the surface of our features that, if anything, would be closest to that of perplexity and confusion if I had to compare the look on our faces to _anything _at all…

After a _long_ series of uncomfortable seconds had passed, in which felt like minutes, the boy with the azure eyes had revealed to me his voice, nowhere near profound and deep but far from high-pitched all the while, in which he began to speak directly to me in attempts to break the silence…

''Um, so…I take it you must be Zelda, right? If I'm wrong, you can tell me otherwise but I wouldn't see any other reason why you wouldn't be'' Were his first words that I interpreted to be almost rather... _snarky_, in some abstruse way. I brushed it off as I had approved his statement with a simple ''yes, of course'', unbeknownst to me where I was not expecting what he was yet to tell me after confirming this, where conflict was to spark soon afterwards…

''Look, I'm not trying to be direct or meddle in other people's business, because, let's be honest, we technically just met, and bad first impressions are just the _worst _am I right?.'' He had said, leaving me to say absolutely nothing while I shot him a quizzical look. He was, as mentioned, being surprisingly direct for someone I've just come to barely meet.

''That being said, we all couldn't help but notice your attempt to avoid the entire situation by leaving for what… the pretty much _most_ of the day? Listen, I _get _that, you wanted to _not_ emerge yourself in this entire situation for as long as you possibly could, I mean, who wouldn't? It's a huge step and let me tell you, I wasn't too keen on all of this either, _trust me_. Even if I can show _some_ sympathy, you could've at least _pretended _to show that you'd be willing to put up with this, instead of avoiding something you and I know _VERY _well, that you just can't necessarily avoid forever… unless of course, you don't intend to believe that our parents are technically getting married and will be living under the same roof, for whatever reason.''

I stood there, frozen, from utter disbelief. _Just who the hell does he think he is?_ He can _sympathize? _Is he for _real_? My face, now flushed from my buttons being pushed by this show pony who probably thinks he knows _exactly _what he's talking about, thinking that he's mature and all, wasn't going to talk down on me like that, no way José. He has no clue in regards to the actual _shit _I've undergone in such a small fragment of my lifetime… and he has the_ nerve_ to tell me to just _put up with this _in the snap of my fingers? Sorry, I don't think it's as easy as you claim it to be, dear sir.

Not able to stay paralyzed any longer, irritation coursing through my veins as I decided not to hold back

''Thanks for your concern, but I'm afraid it won't be necessary since you _clearly_ aren't aware of the entire situation like you think you do, and don't assume that, with the wave of my magical wand I will miraculously accept the fact that people I've _just met _will be living in my house for what I gather to be quite some time. You're absolutely right, like you even said so yourself, you really _shouldn't _be messing in other people's affairs, and maybe you should try minding your own business while I let myself process everything that's happening in my life right now, _without my approval_ to top it all off.'' I replied back, feeling kind of proud of myself for gathering up the nerve to speak my mind, words rolling of my tongue with such fluidity I wasn't used to. Now surprised, Link shot me a look of disbelief and of slight disgust… I think I might have insulted him a bit.

''I'm not asking you to ''miraculously'' accept everything overnight. Just have the decency to introduce yourself and not dismiss us like we're inferior to you. It took us just as long to leave our old life behind as it did for you, so don't think that you're unique in this situation.''

This guy, this guy was _unbelievable. Was he actually declaring that I was a snob? Am I in the right mind to say that?_

The irritation making its way through my blood stream had turned into that of liquid fire, my completely flushed face not visible among the darkness that impeded our vision. I wasn't going to put up with this, no way in hell. I need everyone out of my sight… _now. _After anger had stripped me of my ability to make out legitimate words, redeeming myself, I brushed passed him, calm and collected, as I made my way to the study where I had initially wanted to go in the first place had I not been stopped to be told off by someone who doesn't even know what I've been through, and how I'm not _ready _to accept a situation that could potentially turn out like the one before… the one of that where my father was involved, making life an utter living hell before, AND after his departure.

''Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to spend my time in the study so long as It means getting away from you and everyone else'' I had said, addressing the stubborn boy with my back turned on him.

''Alright, that's your call. All I'm saying is, whether you like it or not, all of this is really _happening,_ where it's pretty hard to avoid. That's not my opinion, but the simple truth of it all that I hope you come to accept like I did, whether it takes you days or months I don't care… but do yourself a favour and at _least _take it into consideration, for the better of those who want to be happy.'' Were his final words before I would be making my leave from him entirely, furiously stomping my way into the study across and slamming the door shut… good riddance. Now slouched in the odd curvature of the haggard armchair that faced the magnificent window with the fragments of stained glass, I caught myself again looking out into the vastness of the everlasting night sky. Why did any of this have to happen in the first place? I had started to ask myself, wanting none of this while I reassured myself that this was all a dream and I would be waking up any moment now

Any moment now...

But I knew that moment wouldn't come, because in reality, this _was _really happening.

After everything that had occurred this endless day (along with the first impression I had given off to those below me who want everything to run as smoothly as possible for the better of this family, where _I _had decided to rain on the parade like a fool with my childish ways, only to instill worry for the plans that would like to be carried out in the future) had all led me to eventually ask myself, after now pausing to take a moment of my time to observe the scenario for what it really was... and my reaction alongside it…

_Was I making a big deal out of absolutely nothing? _

''What the _heck_ is my problem?'' I said aloud to myself, now coming to realize that I had made a mess of something that didn't need to be made a mess of in the first place… screw me and my bitterness

It now occurred to me that this armchair was rather comfortable, despite it being worn as the glow of the starry sky would serve as a soothing night light that would eventually lull me to sleep in the study, along with its faint aroma of the leathery old books that no one really reads anymore anyways…

* * *

**A big deal out of nothing? No, not really Zelda, not at all. Well, this may well be the darkest among all the chapters yet to come, so fret not for those of you who expect a romantic comedy (there'll be much more of that, I can assure you). I hope to get started on the next chapter soon! For those of you reading, might I say thanks! Happy belated Canada day! a shout out to my Canadian pals.**


	4. Maybe it won't be so bad

**holy macaroni! Just what the heck happened for so long?! yeah, so much for ''updating'' every couple of days... well, here is the long overdue 4th chapter of this terrible fanfic. I must say, I find it a tad bit dull, but I promise you things will surely get interesting in later chapters, so stay tuned and glued to your seats folks, because the real ride should take place eventually. I should hope that it won't take this long again to update, which I sincerely believe it won't... I think. Enjoy nevertheless! comments/reviews/favourites are most certainly taken accounted for and greatly appreciated!**

* * *

_~4~_

_Maybe it won't be so bad_

The warm, morning rays of liquid sunlight shone brightly through the study's grand window, where I could faintly make out a bird's chortle that had broken into song, happily announcing the coming of a new day.

How jovial of him…

It hadn't occurred to me where I was when I had awoken… though, after rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and inhaling the familiarly pungent odours of aged leather, I realized that I had fallen asleep in the study's beat up arm chair in such a position that, after readjusting my formerly awkward posture, had left my neck in aching pain along with the pleasant addition of a throbbing headache that pounded like a drum in my skull, it was so indescribably fantastic.

_10:45 a.m, _read the clock indicating what the current time was, according to my phone that is. Great, I _overslept_… at least compared to the time I usually get up at. Not only that, but I only bothered to remember _now_ that I would be meeting up with my friends… once again, later this morning, in which I am obviously liable to showing up late for. While on the subject of contemplating my mild discontent for meeting up with _anyone_ today, the advice I had been given earlier by my friends rendered its way into the focal point of my ruminating, being that, if anything, I should stick to my guns and suck it up since you can't really run away from something that's staring at you directly in the face, to say the least. You know, they actually had a point… what good is it to chase after your own tail, in hopes that you should eventually catch it?

_Pointless, _I say to myself as I lay here, in this present moment, literally asking myself if _I'm _the one who isn't cooperating, which is probably the case to be quite honest. Not being able to withstand the lingering stagnancy of the study or my late morning grunginess any longer, along with the unpleasant sensation of aches and pains if I may add, I decide to quickly shower and get myself ready while convincing myself that I'll somehow make up the lost time from sleeping excessively as I proceed to make my way downstairs, where I ready myself to tango with the fire breathing dragon (a.k.a mom) that I'm not particularly equipped for (I don't have any suitable dancing shoes)…

I tense up, my body stiff as a flagpole, as my feet undergo the sensation of cool tile from kitchen floor pressed up against the soles, where my entrance enacts complete silence (not that it wasn't all that silent before anyway). My mother shoots me a dirty look, her menacing glare colder than that of the icy tiles in contact with the pads of my toes as I flash her a big and awkward smile. I figured that considering I had no new tricks up my sleeve, all I could do would be to simply_ brace_ myself for the raging torrent of scolding I could foresee right down my alleyway, in hopes that I could make a dash for it while I still could. As Mom proceeded to unleash the first few words that presumably belonged to my tedious lecture, Rusl, who was sitting just across from link round' the dining room table, decided to intervene, (the good soul for that, I must give him).

''Ah, Eleanor, don't let it get to you. Besides, it's not your everyday scenario where people you've never really met before are announced to be living with you in only a day's time. It's a completely normal reaction, if I do say so myself.'' Rusl proclaimed in such a humble manner as he directed towards me a soft smile with kind eyes. Now just who in the right mind would I be if I didn't smile back?

My mother briefly looked at Rusl and then back at me, her eyes soft and irises at ease, gradually returning to their original shade of sky blue and not that of stormy seas while giving me a look of defeat that she and I both knew so well, a defeated look that said ''_In any case, don't think you'll get let off the hook that easily''. _Now anticipating a non-verbal reply, I just shrugged my shoulders as a playful smirk writhed its way onto my lips, giving her a look that said _''well, at least I am now, and there's nothing you can do about it… heh heh heh.'' _Causing her to sigh and shake her head as she proceeded to crack another egg in the sizzling skillet, 1 point for team Zelda.

As I stood rocking back and forth on my heels in the middle of the kitchen floor, hands plastered behind my back like cement, I carefully tip toed my way into the dining room where I figured I owed Rusl and even link an apology… besides, maybe _now_ I could use this as a golden opportunity to make up for my ''not so great'' first impression, assuming that that's what I gave off anyway. Now standing before both Link and Rusl in the dining room with walls painted a certain reddish colour I never liked, they looked up in my direction with perplexed looks, appearing unable to decipher why I was standing there starring at my feet like a timid first grader who had just been called to the front of the class to deliver their presentation for show and tell.

''Um, despite what happened last night, I'd really… appreciate it, if you could forget that ever even happened at all, as I'm not even sure why I acted that way in the first place to be honest. I'd also like to apologize for my inability to properly introduce myself, since, you know, we just met and all… so, without further ado… Hi, I'm the Zelda you've probably heard so much about, and it's nice to meet you.'' I say, outstretching my palm towards Rusl as if I were to shake his hand while another one of my awkward grins crept its way onto my features, one of guilt and slight embarrassment if anything. Unbeknownst to me, Rusl only laughed while bearing this charming side smirk I could've sworn my mother alluded to once or twice before (expressing her ''fondness'' for it anyways), which made me feel a little better since he didn't seem upset or angry in the slightest of ways, thank the goddesses for that.

''Well, the feeling is mutual; as it's certainly a pleasure to finally be acquainted with you too miss Harkinian.'' With this our hands locked into a firm handshake under his strong grip ''Ah, worry nothing of it, your reaction was nowhere near unusual, in fact, I would have very well surprised had you been anticipating our arrival from the start… in which I would have had all the reason to be very worried.'' He replied, causing me to laugh. Rusl's humbleness and tolerant nature proved to me just what a warm person he was claimed to be, giving me all the better reason to understand why my mother had fallen in love with him in the first place, and to bring further into my awareness how bitter my reception had been with the first portrait of my character I had mistakenly painted for myself alongside it… _nice going Zelda. _

''So, I guess you're letting it slide that easily huh?'' Link blurted out coldly, eyes never looking away from the book he was reading, a book that I couldn't really make out since the front cover was concealed by the tablecloth, though I probably would've been able to have a recollection of seeing it before anyway, but I guess it's kinda irrelevant at the moment. Rusl then tore his gaze from mine and looked towards that of Link's, continuously staying glued to the pages of his novel.

''I beg your pardon?'' Rusl replied to his son, who now brought his cerulean gaze upwards to face that of his father's

''Oh, nothing really, I just couldn't help but take notice that's all. You know, over the fact that she sort of dismissed you completely as if you weren't even worth the time. I find that the trend of imbalanced mood swings doesn't really help make up for it either, if you know what I mean.'' He replied, bearing this calmness I found vexatious as his gaze returned once again to look upon the pages of his stupid book as if he had said nothing at all. Rusl's head turned once again to meet mine, looking slightly embarrassed, though barely visible as my eyes wandered towards where link sat, my mouth slightly agape and my eyes widening in shock. Rusl cleared his throat after being momentarily stunned by his son's bluntness and started off by preparing to come up with some kind of excuse

''um, he usually isn't like th…''

''at least I _apologized_'' I retorted bluntly, interrupting a rather uneasy Rusl due to my growing irritation, and my need not to let such unnecessary comments slip right past me. Can't he see that I'm _trying? _

''yeah, I guess that's the _least _you could've done. However, don't think the first impression you established for yourself will change so easily. People don't just _forgive and forget_, as you even said so yourself, we can't just '_'miraculously''_ ignore the fact that you completely disregarded us. That being said, I find it makes it pretty difficult to believe your apology is really genuine, since I figure your discontentment for us being here is still there. I'm surprised that my dad is actually buying it.'' He replied, his cool façade never showing any signs of vulnerability as his eyes, bearing the littlest of expression, travelled onward from the pages of his book to encounter my own gaze, struggling not to appear agitated or hurt (the eyes give off the most expression you know!). Look, I may not be the most sociable person on the planet or be able to withdraw as much pleasure from being around people, but I sure don't express hate on _anyone _irrationally, because I'm not that kind of person that Link was making me out to be. I was well aware that I couldn't erase the events from the night before, I already knew that… but you can't just dwell on the little information you have on a person and draw up such drastic accusations. So if an apology regarding my senseless actions was apparently insufficient to do much of anything…

Then what more does he _possibly_ want me to do?

I just didn't quite have the energy to fuel up another episode of futile quarrelling, even if my gut was itching to poke back, I didn't want to upset the balance once again and recycle the tension I had previously caused. Plus had I done so, I would have assured myself another tardy rendezvous with friends, which wasn't particularly in my best interest. So, to keep it short, I redeemed my composure and proclaimed that I had to meet up with some friends, not bothering to spare a thought on getting some breakfast as I made my way out without speaking another word, even though I knew I could have.

Why _didn't_ I though? I ask myself as I made my way out to be greeted by the warmth of the mid-morning sunlight, peeking through mounds of cloud overhead. I didn't really know for certain, but what I did know was that link sure wasn't getting on my good side, and I wouldn't be the least surprised if he felt the same about me. Though, in the grand scheme of all things, I wasn't going to let it become an issue, and I wouldn't want it to become one anyways because I knew for fact that I couldn't possibly be in the wrong for _attempting_ to cooperate like I already had been told to, by others and myself even. Despite telling myself that, I couldn't help but wonder why he drew up a conclusion of my character so suddenly? And more importantly

Why was it _bothering _me so much? That, I just couldn't seem to pin point as I ran my languid fingers through the mass of soft grass beneath me that coltishly caressed the creases between them where micro droplets of dew collected, completely unreceptive to the fact that my attention had rendered elsewhere until someone softly placed a hand on my shoulder to snap be back to consciousness in the local park which just so happened to be the meeting place for our friend group gathering. Said delicate hand couldn't belong to anyone one else to that of Ilia's, who finally managed to redeem a mere slither of time she could dispense at her own leisure, which out of the goodness of her heart, decided to spend with her friends…

Oh Ilia, what were you thinking? I'm _kidding _I'm kidding…

''So, tell me… what exactly _is_ bothering you?'' she asked me, as I respond by giving her a look of perplexity, morphing into a fake smile. Knowing that it couldn't possibly fool her for one second, I attempted to maintain a cool façade anyways in hopes that she wouldn't see right through me at least a little bit.

''Oh nothing really. I'm just contemplating the nice weather we're having today, wouldn't you say so?'' I say innocently… inevitably she knew I was lying, so why did I even bother _attempting _to deceive her? There's no point in trying to fool anyone who can read people like the back of their hand with such facility beyond even my understanding. So, in the end, she managed to wring me dry of all my pathetic discontent for everything that was going on and how it started off on bad footing, how I made a bad impression of myself, how Link and I already seem like we aren't going to coexist peacefully under the same roof. Like a superfluously soaked washcloth, everything just began pouring out of me relentlessly as she just simply listened, until my other friends decided to tune in to my distress which became the focal point of their attention as well, all staring at me wide eyed sparked of great interest to my lame and rather self-piteous tirade for what carried on that seemed like hours, but were in actual fact very long minutes... strangely enough though, they didn't seem to be the least affected by it.

''If I had to judge, things sure aren't looking all that promising, at least coming from where you stand '' Ilia managed to say with utmost sympathy when I finally decided to finish speaking on behalf of everything that had happened during these past few hours

''Yeah. Geez that Link guy sounds like a pretentious snot. If it was me, I woudda yanked that book right out of his scrawny hands and force him to look at me dead _center_ in the eyes, and I mean _dead frekin' center_. I wouldn't let _anyone_ talk to me that way in my own house, no chance in hell.'' Added Midna jarringly as she lay on her back along the soft bank of emerald grass atop the hill where we sat, her ardent gaze still apparent beneath the shadows hanging above us overhead, originating from a towering tree.

''Oh really, and what _would_ you do if they did? Get into some unnecessarily violent feud because you can't contain your anger?'' Marth teased, a playful smirk carving its way into his soft features as his back leaned against the tree's trunk with his arms overhead that cradled the back of his head, his posture reclined into a position that, as relaxed as it appeared to be immediately tensed up when Midna punched his side causing him to wince in pain, clearly receiving the message to stop talking.

''oh darn zel, things sure aren't looking all that fine and dandy for you are they?'' Peach replied, sighing to herself as her narrow chin rested along the palms of her petite hands as she lay stomach down on the grass with a flimsy gossip magazine (*_cough* trash magazine_ *_cough_*) laid flat out in front of her. ''SO, tell me…what _does_ he look like? Is he _handsome _to say the least?'' she cooed in a chirpy voice, expression instantly changing from one of a sympathetic glance to that of a lustful daze almost as if for a second, she was willing to disregard everything and go ahead and ask because her flirtatious needs and tendencies were just itching to.

''Peach, this _isn't_ the time!'' Ilia retorts with slight annoyance, though tone of voice never relaying into that of severe aggravation.

''No, You're absolutely right, this really isn't the time to dwell on such senseless affairs, I couldn't agree more'' peach replied with utmost approval in her usual regal tone

…

''Okay on a scale of one to ten, 1 being hideous and 10 being godly?''

''PEACH!'' we all say to her in nearly perfect unison

''Oh come now! Can't I just simply be informed if the person we are dealing with is _at least _easy on the eyes? Sheesh!'' she replies with a huff, her attention back to the article she had been rolling her eyes over, scrutinizing every little fragment of it voraciously in great interest and sheer fascination, in all its wondrous superficiality

''ugh, just what am I supposed to do?'' I say aloud as I fall on my back and land on the soft terrain of the hill, expelling the air inside of me with a big huff of weary, tired breath as I came face to face with the cerulean sky above. ''If I can't fix the mistakes I've made by simply doing all I can think of, then what is there left to do?''

My friends all looked back and forth at one another, as if searching for an adequate response to the question, until Midna decided to contribute with her ''words of wisdom''.

''_**I'll**_ give you your answer, like we told you before, I think you should just pretty much stick to your guns and grab it by the horns instead of sulking over it Zel. Things just _might_ not be as rank as they seem if you're able to approach it differently, because let's face it Harkinian, things are probably gonna stay the way they are for one heck of a _long time_. My personal advice from the expertise of yours truly: stand your ground and show this Link guy whose boss in this establishment. You don't want to show any signs of submission or aggravation to his intimidation…that's what all the irritating pricks want, to see you lose your mojo. Take it from me, since I have to put up with this jerk beside me'' she proclaims boisterously as she points in Marth's general direction.

''Well EXCUSE _you, _since I'm probably _the_ nicest person I know. And for the record Zel,'' Marth starts off, now turning his head to address me, ''I highly recommend, coming from the expertise of _YOURS__ truly, _to not listen to one word of advice that has escaped the lips of that… _thing_, if you know what's good for you.''

''OH, and I suppose YOU don't have any _better _ideas before you go running off your fat mouth like a moron?''

''Not at the moment, but If I did they would probably be a great deal better than _your_ senseless ideas and not end up paired with disastrous outcomes like they always do. Speaking of which, since when are _any_ of your ideas _not _senseless and idiotic?''

'WHY I OUGHTA…!''

''Actually, and I can't believe I'm saying this but I can't help but agree with Midna, since she actually has a point.'' Interrupts a thoughtful Ilia, causing Midna and Marth to stop dead in their tracks to face her general direction with Midna grabbing Marth's shirt collar with both hands as if just about to roughhouse him with violent shaking until Ilia had decided to speak up.

''HA, looks like my ideas aren't entirely _useless_!'' Midna hollers proudly, prodding her index finger in accusation towards Marth's chest, who just simply folds his arms over and pouts irritatingly in defeat.

''What do you mean Ilia?'' I say, my interest being taken hold of once again as I sit myself up to meet her emerald eyes in a haste to prove that my full attention had been captured.

''All I'm saying is that Midna has a _point_, to say the least. Zelda, like we keep telling you _constantly_, you really must understand that these kinds of situations simply _won't_ always go your way as planned and may not entirely treat you with utmost kindness or bring you into favour 24/7, and there's nothing you can do to change that. However, should you approach things with an open mind and search for every possible way to cope and accept the situations by taking a confident stride into its center instead of bitterly lurking within its shadow, things might just turn out to not be as bad as they seem, especially if said things will be a part of your life for what I take quite some time. If that should be the case, then you may as well make the best of it and not succumb to pessimism and stay grounded in the event that something that doesn't ''float your boat'' happens. To make matters short, don't cry over spilt Lon Lon milk… instead pay exactly $4.13 plus tax to buy a new jar and make the better of that one… after all, you _do_ want your mother to be happy

…Don't you?''

She ended off, a hint of doubt in her voice as we looked each other in the eyes intently, not knowing what the latter could possibly be thinking of. It sure didn't seem like it but I _did _want my mother to be happy, honestly I really did because I knew her happiness could in some way ensure my own… like it does for anyone really who shares a bond with someone they feel closest to, someone they know and care for as the tie holding you affixed intensifies the closer you become, thus the more pain or joy you feel if one of you should ever undergo it. Even if what I've gotten myself tangled up in isn't my cup of tea at the rate it was going at, I wasn't going to let myself burn my mouth from its scorching heat that may, on the occasion, boil my blood but rather cool it down with the frigidity of my willingness to find new tastes and make the better of the situation, where things just, like they said, may turn out not to be so bad after all

_Yeah_

''_Maybe it won't be so bad after all''_, I say to myself lying down once again on the soft earth of the green bank, looking up at the bright sky above once more and smiling, but just enough for me to know it… for what felt like the first time in a million years… a million smile-less years.

* * *

**Dull right? well, at least I think so. Working on the fifth at the moment, in hopes that it's still worth my time to write if any of you out there anticipate it?**

**well, for those who do, thanks a million for reading! Onward to chapitre cinq!**


	5. Link: go explore

**Alrighty! here's the fifth chapter! Let me be the first to admit that I had _such_ a struggle writing this... not only from drawing blanks on how to express what I wanted to write next but also due to the fact that this was intended to be a chapter with descriptions galore... not so much fun. Oh well, the hard part is over with and the proceeding chapters should be much easier to write than this one. Don't be surprised if this chapter puts you to sleep, but I hope you manage to extract some enjoyment from it regardless! better chapters yet to come!**

* * *

~_5_~

_Link: Go explore._

_Link's P.O.V_

My book, titled ''_The embarking of a hero's destiny, vol. 1'' _continued to grow further engaging and continued to further tame my voracious hunger pangs for some savory reading the more I progressed. Despite the proliferating activity that boggled my mind and inundated the boundaries of my limitless imagination, the hypnotic and eerie ticking where the grandfather clock stood was all that could be heard within the thick of the silence that encircled the living area, and perhaps the occasional mating call of a cicada burrowed deep within the earth on this sticky summer afternoon. In other words, so to speak, it was almost disturbingly quiet…

Shortly after Zelda's sudden departure, my Dad and Eleanor were in somewhat of a rush themselves to get out in order to meet the needs of certain errands pertaining to the wedding for a good remainder of the day, which meant leaving me completely alone with one sole thing keeping me company, being the old, yet comforting pages of a book that tells the fictional tale in the era where the magnanimous knights of Hyrule conquered its vast territories, with the one simple yet concrete physical endeavour of protecting said territories and fight for the motherland, _their_ land. Even with a good book at hand, the overbearing silence along with the tremulous ticking was far too taxing on the nerves and could drive any sane person to the point of madness, despite even myself being no stranger to serene environments where living on the countryside meant the simple passing of a car was a rarity on its own. My sense of direction wasn't all that bad, it really wasn't… but being extremely unfamiliar with the area prevented me from leaving the house and get some fresh (though somewhat polluted) air…plus it was kind of uncomfortably humid outside anyways, and would most likely be as pleasant as it sounded as an experience. Now setting my book aside, I leaned back into the duvet where I had seated myself and began twiddling my thumbs subtly as I took note of the freshly lit and painted walls of the living room that were stained with golden rays from the ardent sun's afterglow, along with the clock's ticking never showing signs of fatigue… nor my craving to find something else to do to pass the time, which strangely never seemed to be an issue until now.

My eyes began to trail with great care along every nook and cranny of the house, paying close attention to detail from where I stood as far as my eyes could see… until the coiling staircase that spiraled to the many unknown floors above caught my eye and sparked my insatiable curiosity heavily like it had earlier on when I went looking for Zelda's room… though it had been very dark then, to the degree where simple figures had been a great challenge to make out from the surrounding black shadows. I continued to watch the staircase

''_I wonder what could be on all those floors? What could possibly be behind each door is still a mystery to me.'' _I tell myself mentally as my growing interest to explore becomes further piqued the more I dwell on the thought of it, unbeknownst to me that I was practically hanging off the edge of the duvet's overstuffed cushion which proved a sign that I really _did_ need to tame my inquisitiveness before it got out of hand. It occurred to me that I had an advantage: _No one was home… _which implied that I was technically free to roam without anyone having to suspect my whereabouts, because no one was actually _there_ to suspect them. I figured it wouldn't hurt to explore the house just a _little_ bit, so long as I didn't _destroy_ anything… Moreover, I had every reason to be harmlessly curious like anyone would be in a place like this. I knew that if I _was_ to tour the house though, I would have probably been considered a bit of a snoop, yet perhaps if you were to look at it… say… _differently_, it could pass off as just a way to get a good sense of where I'm going to be living, for what I take, a good part of my life. Besides, it doesn't make all that much sense to me _not _to be familiar with your own house, so I may as well accustom myself with it from the inside out while I'm still here. After reaching a reasonable decision regarding what I will do next, I decided that my fascination to discover whatever was up there had surely been deprived long enough and, without sparring another thought, made my way gingerly to the foot of the varnished stairs and headed my way up, careful not to make a sound… even though no one was there…

In the light of day, the hallway wasn't as dim since stray light managed to push its way through any possible nook or cranny near its light source or through small, isolated windows that was absorbed glutinously by the dark hall, so I could now make out my general surroundings more clearly than before. The walls, of course, were not entirely bare as they were decorated in few paintings that I took my time to observe before exploring the rooms that adjoined them on the other side of the gloomy coloured walls…But among them all, there was one that I particularly liked… if ''liked'' was considered suitable enough a word to portray how I felt about it. In any event, I _knew_ that there was definitely _something_ about it that explained why I had looked at it far _longer_ than any of the others, and why it drew me in far _more_ than any of the others. It wasn't a painting, no, but rather a tapestry, and a long tapestry at that which descended perfectly along the grim wall without a noticeable fold or crease or stain in sight, to the naked eye at least.

One may have considered it beautiful, that is, if they knew how to appreciate such works of art like this one. On the tapestry stood a small yet determined individual cloaked in green with a sword and shield at hand, both bearing the mark of a beautiful crest that seemed almost… familiar? Above said individual cloaked in green was the beautiful face of what I claimed to be a princess... and should she not be, could most definitely pass off as one…. one that I felt oddly already acquainted with… _somehow_. The portrait of her golden head of hair outstretched loosely along the seams of the tapestry which left traces of close attention to detail where a crown of gold rested atop it, travelling along her forehead in all its radiance with a crest hovering just above, the same crest marked on the hero's sword and shield (at least who I _assumed_ to be the hero) and seemed very symbolic according to the way it reoccurred frequently along the tapestry's continuous border. I kept telling myself that I was certain to have never laid eyes on this tapestry before, and I knew this was true because it would have been unlikely that I would forget of something so remarkably unique and of beauty such as this… who _would_ really? But despite telling myself that, I just didn't know why but there was still _something_ oddly reminiscent about it, something I couldn't quite put my finger on…and the more I told myself I'd never seen it before, not in a _thousand_ years at that…the more it grew to feel like I'd seen it _thousands_ of times before, or lived _through it_ thousands of years ago…strange…

My eyes now drifted to lock into the eye of the triangular crest, the one that I could've sworn I _already_ knew, something I could've sworn coming across more than once…_dammit_ I know I did…. _Just what the hell is it about that tapestry_?

…

''yeah, I don't think my head is screwed on right… must be due to the fact that my brain has gone into overdrive lately. No surprise there'' I said to myself aloud when I decided to brush it off and continue my plot to, _correction_, _not snoop, _but rather _explore _out of sheer fascination for things… it always has been that way ever since I'm a kid anyways now that I think about it, where ''keeping your hands to yourself'' just never fully registered.

My gaze, now liberated from the thirsty charm of the tapestry, travelled onward to render my focus on the many doors leading to mysterious rooms and their contents that I knew little of, where my level of curiosity had reached its peak and needed to be tended to as soon as possible… the only thing preventing me being my indecisiveness for which door I should choose to open first. Logically, I should choose the one closest to me and venture into every other door sequentially… but that seemed too automated, so I had decided on another reasonable alternative to settle the dispute…

Eeny, meeny, miny, moe… Goddesses I am _such_ a child

I started off, selectively pointing my index finger to one of the doors in the hallway and began reciting the rhyme aloud which would determine the initiation of my exciting exploration of the house. It was almost embarrassing how little I could contain myself

''_Eeny, meeny, miny, moe_

_Catch a wolfos by its toe_

_If he hollers let him go_

_Eeny, meeny, miny, moe''_

Surprise surprise…. My finger _literally_ points in the direction to the very first door of the hallway on my left… how utterly predictable

''well, the rhyme never fails to choose _I guess_.'' I had told myself as my hand slowly began to turn the brass knob of the wooden door, which opened with ease to reveal a spacious room, a grand piano at its center, basked in natural light from the great big windows that almost entirely covered the walls on the opposite side with pristine floors polished to the point where it could replicate my reflection with utmost clarity. From what I could make out past the long white curtains, translucent if not almost transparent, that hung along the windows was what appeared to be a hidden set of glass doors that led to a balcony just outside.

Being in the room made you feel very light.

As I approached the glass doors, swinging them open wide, I was to be greeted by gusts of air that lightly brushed past me, caressing my face as the curtains performed a dance in the gentle winds which began to infiltrate the room… making you feel even lighter than when you first walked in. Now stepping onto the balcony's platform, my hands trailing to the walls behind me to fiddle with the infectious ivy where a tangle of white roses grew, I walked up to the taupe coloured stone banister to admire the vastness of the azure sky that faced me, where I had spotted a bevy of birds that flew freely along it, perfectly synchronized with not a feather out of place. The green space beneath me immersed in flowers and plants for what I took to be the backyard was rather unlike anything I had expected to be honest, in a sense where it wasn't really anything that looked _too much _like a million rupees… but it was still a _really nice _for backyard nevertheless… I had thought so anyways.

Upon making my way back inside and shutting the glass doors behind me, the circulation of cool air ceasing to stir, the gleam of the piano caught my eye and aroused me of great interest. I didn't play the piano, but after experimenting from time to time on the cheap oak wood piano in my uncle's basement as a kid, it eventually lead me into being able to play chopsticks after hours on end of tirelessly fiddling around with the keys while searching for a note that seemed to make sense in succession to the one I had just played. After retrieving the wooden bench underneath and brushing my hand just along the varnished surface of the piano keys' cover where a mountain of dust had started to collect, opening the latch to reveal a clean set of ivory keys, some being heavily worn or unable to emit sound, my nimble fingers began to play the small, defective tune that literally felt of a second nature to me from repeatedly performing the sequence a number of times… a number too great for me to actually remember off the top of my head.

…

After no longer being able to retrieve remotely any entertainment from playing about with defective ivory keys without purpose, closing the piano cover and ensuring everything was pretty much back to the way I found it, I carefully shut the door to the room with the ethereal-like balcony and the piano with the broken keys behind me and found myself standing once again in the faintly lit hallway with the many doors, awaiting to be searched. This time, I decided to make a leap past a few doors and choose the rightmost one that my eyes could make out along the stretch of the hallway… so without further interrogating my choice I opened said chosen door, enthused, to now find what appeared to be some sort of seating area with an old record player that rested in the corner, presumably untouched for what I took quite some time. My eyes roamed around the honey coloured room to encounter corduroy covered couches that encircled a decorative table, in which a vase full of marigolds and spruces of lavender lay atop it as a nice addition to liven it up a bit… well, at least I thought it did anyways. I glanced over towards the record player, pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't merely _just _a record player, but a record player along with a box full of _the_ greatest albums that date back since the early radio days of my father... it was so great.

''_The Gerudos, Clockwork Golem, Stompin' Stalfos, Blind and the thieves, Phantom's Hourglass, The Gorons, A place to bury strangers… wow, they really do have everything don't they? Oh! Is that the stone temple pilots I see?''_

After marvelling over the really solid collection of albums from the golden ages of music (you know, when it was actually good), I noticed a bookcase that carried a variety of things other than books, such as trinkets and various knickknacks of such. Intrigued, I make my way over to get a closer look. Aside from an array of photo journals and picture albums that lay tautly stacked atop one another, I could also make out some odd figurines that appeared to be carved out of Birchwood along with a small box of some sort, a box that appeared to also be made of ivory where patterns were embossed in its surface and genuine emeralds encrusted along its perimeter… assuming they were real anyways. I tried opening the box

Nothing happened

It had only occurred to me then that there was a small keyhole, in which should I retrieve the key, the box will open. The only problem being…

The key was nowhere to be found

Despite me swiping my hand along each and every shelf while displacing things in hopes that I should find anything, with little luck I retire empty handed aside from a handful of dust, leaving the whereabouts of the missing key entirely unknown to me, much to my dismay because I was really curious to know what was in that box… Oh well, not much more to see in here anyways, I had thought while making my exit and closing the door behind me.

Door after door, as if it were a sweets shop I ventured eagerly into each to discover the contents that lay within, unbeknownst to me where several hours had already gone by from the departure of my snoopi-uh I mean exploring, where I had just been too fascinated by everything and in a haze to bother with keeping track. I'd been in countless rooms throughout the day, some being dreary... and some to a lesser extent in the event that I found something that captured my interest, as such was the case when I found another room with a cabinet made of Honduran mahogany where small, animal like figurines made of glass inhabited the shelves leaving little space for not much of anything else, which wouldn't have mattered anyways since the figurines were captivating enough a display on their own. I remember looking at them longer than I intended to…

…

Finally, from what it looked like, the door in front of me was indeed, the sole door whose content I had not yet explored among the many that I had. I was sorely mistaken to think that it couldn't be much, drawing conclusions based on what I previously had seen from other rooms which had been able to appease my craving to be fascinated, perhaps yes... but never leaving me filled with wonder or left in awe as I shut the door behind me, feeling just minimally satisfied. The room that would challenge that was brightly lit and on the uppermost floor of the house, where a spectacular view could be seen through the window's glass panes where brilliant beams of light pierced through and flooded the room with warmth. The eye of the brass telescope that stood firm on its stand peered into the heart of the sky, impinging through the shining panes of sunlit glass with its intent stare... which probably lasted from the awakening of the night sky until dawn, the cycle continuing to repeat itself for as long as the lonely brass telescope should ever fall off its stand... or the sun dying... but the more likely of the two being the first, I had reckoned. Near the ancient telescope stood a globe and a small book shelf, filled to the brim with many books on astronomy, zodiac constellations and perhaps the occasional few on meteorology with the little space it had. I waltzed around the room, amazed by it being so generously capacious with ceilings far beyond one's reach to eventually notice a map of the world, ancient Hylian dialogue encircling it, that rested in the center of the floor after looking at the entity of the observatory from afar where I had stood. While admiring the map on the floor, my hand brushed along the wall to find something to lean on, only to stumble upon a light switch which I involuntarily turned off… causing the room to grow dark aside from the natural sunlight seeping through the window… but I don't regret it in the slightest of ways, because right there and then, I would never come to have known of the mesmerizing glow, the mesmerizing glow that emitted from the ceiling of the observatory and the floor below when it grew dark. When light was nil, a map of the stars and some of its major constellations that belonged to a mere fragment of our universe could be seen on the pallet of the observatory, aglow like glimmering diamonds while shedding a mimic of light on those below as if you were looking upon the actual bed of stars themselves like you always did

Like you always do

On those sleepless nights

Around the bed of stars atop the observatory were 3 symbols that encircled them, ones that I also had seen before?

…

Ah! Now I remember, quite clearly actually. They were the symbols that represented the goddesses Nayru, farore, and Din: wisdom, courage, power and, like the stars themselves, shone brightly and remained aglow. I had read about said old Hylian legends in various books…and now the more I think about it, the more I am able to recall seeing the triangular symbol on the tapestry before, the triangular symbol that marked the point in which the goddesses left the earth, the triangular symbol that would forever protect the land of Hyrule and could grant the ultimate wish… to restore peace in the hands of good, to enact chaos in the hands of evil…yes, the triangular symbol, the one that seemed to have slipped me…the triforce, which lay centered in the bed of stars and shone brightly with them in harmony, all within the lonely observatory.

Now seated on the cushioned platform near the window, not bothering to turn on the lights, I looked up at what was above me… the bed of gleaming stars, admiring something that no one bothers to admire as often anymore, no matter where they may be… all in the observatory that no one has heard of… all in the place that seems forgotten by everyone and everything aside from the stray beams of light, who still go out of their way to make frequenting visits by wrapping the room in its comforting, warming arms… making it feel a little less lonesome.

Who would've thought one could still look up at the stars in the light of day?

…

After taking in one last glance of the observatory, it occurred to me that I had successfully explored most, if not all the rooms in the house and had tamed my boredom to an ample degree…success. Shutting what I thought to be the last door behind me, I had resumed thinking of my half way done book and decided tending on getting it finished until everyone should get home. I didn't really have any better ideas, so settling on that being the best of my few options; I made my way to head back downstairs… at least, that's where it was going at first until I noticed one last room, door slightly ajar where, past the small crevice of its rickety frame a poster attached to the wall with sticky tack could be seen… a poster that I recognized instantly, bearing a quote from the historian Auru who's books I've actually read quite a bit of and come to wrap my head around. This, of course, gave me all the better reason to peer inside… until it suddenly occurred to me, despite the fact that it had been very dark then, that I was standing at the foot of Zelda's room. I was conflicted between my inquisitiveness and what was just plain unacceptable among most standards… but to say the least, curiosity got to the better of me. I knew it wasn't right and that I really _shouldn't_ be invading on someone else's privacy, but I had nothing to lose just by looking around… no one was home anyways right? With that, I tiptoed my way inside in fear of making noise as I carefully observed my surroundings

One would say that her room was almost horrifically plain and insipid in a house like this, but I suppose the simplicity of it is what gave it that charm…along with the decorative array of maps and posters of Hylian historians plastered along the walls, plush animals from different game series and various other collections of odds and ends that relieved the room of being anything _but_ generic for someone her age.

''_I didn't think Zelda would be into stuff like this.'' _I had come to realize after confirming that she was indeed, a bit of a dork at heart (someone's room kinda says a lot about them, you know what I mean?). Now with Zelda on my mind, a wave of sudden guilt washed over me after contemplating the way I had spoken to her that morning. Did she, despite her sticking her nose up at us, honestly deserve my immediate commentary after she went out of her way to apologize? What _else_ could she have done… she _had_ to have felt bad, which is already a shitty enough a feeling along with my cold reception to top it all off when she tried to say she was sorry… all to probably make her feel even worse from the expression she had written all over her face in big block letters that could be read plainly by those who saw it.

I really have to stop taking things so personally.

Shaking off my thoughts while now scanning through the bookshelf in the corner, I was impressed with her tastes for literature, considering her collection was a hearty mix of classic stories and historical fiction. I smiled slightly at the interesting array of books… until one book in particular caught my eye, the one book that epitomized the earlier days of my childhood which lay buried amongst a heap of articles from historian magazines

I knew it couldn't be anything else but the heavy set leather bound book of classic Hylian fairy tales… and surely enough, it was.

The rough surface of textured leather was familiar to the touch as I held it in my hands, brushing my nimble fingers along its surface. The leather meeting the pads of my fingers sparked memories of my mother reading those very same fairy tales to me on those nights where I just couldn't fall asleep, whether the reason being from a perilous storm hammering raindrops on my windowsill or something that had frightened me, basically preventing me from getting a good night's rest, the only way to ensure that I would fall back asleep would be hearing just a mere excerpt of it translated through her soft spoken words. She would hear me sobbing throughout the night and attempt to coax my agitated nerves by holding me close as she sat on her rocking chair, re-reading the same fairy tales over and over again with her dulcet voice while being cradled by the warmth of her arms wrapped around my tiny body, a feeling of tranquility washing over me as my eyes grew heavy every time she did, the subtle rocking motion giving the feeling of a boat sailing across an emerald bay, eventually lulling me into a deep sleep of peaceful dreams. Those memories, I knew very well, could never be relived as she was now gone… but when those memories had not even been memories at all but rather present moments, I knew that those moments would always stay with me… from the time they were lived until the time that they would cease to be lived at all… but I guess it's better to have been through them, because it is an even sadder thought to know that the moments you could've lived through and made into memories that you would forever cherish… were to have simply never existed.

My memories would always… always be there.

Always…

Snapping back to consciousness, my eyes looking down upon the thing that defined my childhood one last time before placing it back where I found it, smiling as I did; it hadn't occurred to me that a rather stern looking Zelda was leaning against the doorframe for goddesses knows how long… impatiently waiting for me to turn around and provide some sort of an explanation…. which I didn't have.

I, Link, was royally screwed…

* * *

**Yikes, looks like link has sure got some serious explaining to do, let's hope he's good at improvising. Will more conflict rise? Will Link find a way to evade this sticky situation? stay tuned and find out in chapter 6! Thanks for reading everyone! favourites/reviews/follows are, as mentioned, greatly appreciated as always! **


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